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Chapter 116. Even in Death

Well, here I am, being cradled and patted on the head by my dead childhood friend, Zilbagias.

What kind of twisted fate is this?

“Stop it already!”

I shook off Claire’s hand, reverting to my demon form, horns and all. With my regained power, Claire took a step back and muttered, “Wow…”

“What do you mean ‘wow’? What’s with that?”

Don’t look at me with those eyes, as if I’m something filthy!

Can’t you see that I’m painfully aware of being a filthy demon?!

“You suddenly look strong and not cute at all…”

Claire sighed, looking disappointed.

“Is that your definition of cute…?”

“That prince earlier looked kinda like a chick.”

“Chick?”

“Small, weak… like I could crush him with one hand.”

“Don’t crush him!”

Now that I think about it, you did like chicks, didn’t you? Memories of how much you pampered them came flooding back.

I almost laughed recalling how you cried like crazy when you found out chicks came from eggs, even though you loved egg dishes.

Where did that version of you go?

“Hey! Prince, transform back into a human again!”

“Not a chance.”

Sadly, I can’t safely transform into my human form around her.

Unlike Liliana, Leila, or Sophia, I can’t fully trust her… By the way, Sophia is currently holed up in the archives, devouring books.

“But I was surprised. Was that transformation magic?”

“You knew about it?”

“Well, it’s common to see dragons walking in human form, and my master meets the Dark Dragon King at executive meetings…”

That makes sense.

“But I thought it was a species-specific magic for dragons.”

Her eyes glinted with curiosity, locking onto me.

“I didn’t know demons could use it too.”

“…I learned it from a dragon.”

“Wow! Do you think we can use it too?”

…Can we?

“I heard that that Night Elf Sword Saint said he only gets a bit tanned when he’s in human form and that sunlight doesn’t bother him at all…”

…Will Enma’s ambitions be so easily fulfilled?

Oh no! This could get complicated!

“Hmm, there are conditions for learning it.”

I crossed my arms, pretending to think deeply.

“You guys don’t eat, right?”

“Of course not. Not having those physiological desires is our strength.”

“However, to learn the transformation magic, you need to drink the living blood of a dragon.”

“Ugh. Blood, just like that?”

Claire grimaced.

“Exactly. And I don’t know if just tasting it is enough, or if you need to fully digest it. Personally, I think it’s the latter.”

I’m not lying.

I’ve tasted Leila’s blood and definitely made it my own.

Undead don’t need to eat, but ironically, they can’t eat either.

Even if I tried mimicking the eating habits of Enma from before—it would still just be a pretense.

To consume something and make it part of your flesh and blood is a privilege of the living.

“Ah… but one thing is clear, my master wouldn’t be interested in this.”

“Huh? Wasn’t overcoming sunlight his lifelong goal?”

“Sure, but I don’t think he’d do something as vampiric as drinking living blood.”

Claire shrugged.

Vampires, huh… Come to think of it, there’s that vampire noble faction in the Demon Lord Castle.

“I don’t recall ever seeing them, though?”

Honestly, I had almost forgotten about their existence. It’s strange that I, living a nocturnal life, haven’t encountered them. I think the last time I ran into one was during the ambush operation.

“What’s wrong, Prince?”

“Oh, I was just remembering that there are vampires. It’s surprising that I’ve never seen them.”

“Maybe it’s because we’re getting along so well?”

…What do you mean?

“Us and the vampires, or rather, my master and the Vampire Duke have always been at each other’s throats.”

“Huh?”

What? Aren’t you guys supposed to be close?

“Vampires are immortal but not undead, that’s my master’s argument. I mean, those guys have heartbeats, need blood, and can reproduce…”

“Oh, I see…”

Now that you mention it.

“In terms of classification, they’re actually closer to living beings.”

The Holy Church groups them all together with the undead, but according to my theory, vampires are indeed living beings.

“That’s right. Plus, our goal is to turn all humans into undead, right? The vampires are always whining ‘If you do that, we won’t be able to drink blood’.”

…Philosophically incompatible.

As much as I want to say “deal with it,” I can’t because humans would suffer.

“Also, my master thinks, ‘Even after becoming immortal, they’re half-baked creatures who can hardly maintain their own selves without sucking blood’ and makes a mockery of the vampires, which has led them to retaliate, saying, ‘You rotting meatbags, hurry back to the grave’ in kind, and it’s become quite a mess…”

Wow.

“What a disgraceful conflict, it’s so true that we laugh at the common troubles of others.”

So harsh! But I agree.

“If the Demon Lord weren’t around, there would’ve been a war by now.”

Nodding along with a serious expression, Claire says like it’s obvious.

Then, because I’m getting along with that crowd, the vampires stay away from me… Since I quickly became friends with Enma after stepping outside.

Still, what can I say… This information…

“Depending on how you use it…”

The more firewood and fuel you have, the better…!! I wish they would continue to despise each other.

“Well, if that’s the case, I guess transformation magic will have to be put on hold. What a bummer!”

Pouting as she puts her hands behind her head, Claire—

“Put on hold?”

Her choice of words suddenly struck me as odd.

As if—she actually wants to return to being human.

“…After all, liberation from corporeal pain is your selling point. Isn’t it fine if you can’t return to a human body?”

I said this while observing Claire, testing the waters.

“Well, that’s true…”

She switched to a ‘smile’ and—her eyes began to swim.

Suddenly, I remembered.

This movement.

Ah, it’s this movement.

It’s so nostalgic it makes me want to cry.

Even when it’s difficult to form expressions, the eyes can still move.

When feeling awkward or having something to hide.

Claire always used to sway her eyes like this—

What’s there to hide? Why does she feel the need to feel that way during our current conversation?

…Could it be?

She doesn’t truly agree with Enma’s ideology…?

I looked back—gazing at the fallen Sword Saints laid out behind me.

“…What about you?”

The question blurted out before I could hold it back.

“Don’t you feel anything? That fellow humans have been killed by demons?”

I stared straight at the face of my former childhood friend.

“You’re also a victim of the Demon Lord’s army.”

Claire’s face suddenly went deathly pale, her expression wholly vanishing.

 

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